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Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 7 May 2025 CET
App Store

Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 20 most popular Networking SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

Networking SDKs are developer tools that provide networking functionalities for mobile apps. They enable developers to build apps capable of communicating with servers or other devices over a network, without having to build these capabilities from scratch. Network SDKs typically facilitate network requests, response handling, authentication, and more.

This list is based on our analysis of the millions of mobile applications – and the 2,300+ SDKs they use – that constitute the vast inventory of the Apple App Store. The accompanying data provides readers with a glimpse into the rich mobile application insights generated by the 42matters technology. This data is also available via our APIs, file dumps, Explorer, and SDK Explorer.

The intended purpose of this article is to assist app builders in their search for the perfect Networking SDK to leverage in their app, as well as to give SDK developers insight into their biggest competitors and potential customers. This data collected by our technology may also serve as a useful tool for folks researching the wider mobile app market.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 64.11% have integrated Nanopb. This accounts for 46.88% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
475.00k
App Store
App Share
64.11%
App Store
Apps
444.77k
Games
30.23k
Total Downloads
117.43b
App Store
Download Share
46.88%
App Store
App Downloads
81.31b
Game Downloads
36.12b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Nanopb.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 22.23% have integrated Alamofire. This accounts for 20.54% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Alamofire is an HTTP networking library SDK written in Swift.

Total Apps
164.71k
App Store
App Share
22.23%
App Store
Apps
163.22k
Games
1.49k
Total Downloads
51.45b
App Store
Download Share
20.54%
App Store
App Downloads
47.11b
Game Downloads
4.34b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Alamofire.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 18.36% have integrated AFNetworking. This accounts for 23.66% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

AFNetworking is a delightful networking library SDK for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It's built on top of the Foundation URL Loading System, extending the powerful high-level networking abstractions built into Cocoa. It has a modular architecture with well-designed, feature-rich APIs that are a joy to use.

Total Apps
136.00k
App Store
App Share
18.36%
App Store
Apps
128.09k
Games
7.91k
Total Downloads
59.26b
App Store
Download Share
23.66%
App Store
App Downloads
50.82b
Game Downloads
8.44b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AFNetworking.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 11.86% have integrated gRPC. This accounts for 22.43% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

gRPC is a modern open source, high-performance RPC framework SDK that can run in any environment. It can efficiently connect services in and across data centers with pluggable support for load balancing, tracing, health checking, and authentication.

Total Apps
87.84k
App Store
App Share
11.86%
App Store
Apps
83.90k
Games
3.94k
Total Downloads
56.18b
App Store
Download Share
22.43%
App Store
App Downloads
52.33b
Game Downloads
3.85b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use gRPC.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 9.35% have integrated SocketRocket. This accounts for 8.76% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

SocketRocket is an SDK that offers a conforming Objective-C WebSocket client library.

Total Apps
69.29k
App Store
App Share
9.35%
App Store
Apps
68.50k
Games
792
Total Downloads
21.95b
App Store
Download Share
8.76%
App Store
App Downloads
19.55b
Game Downloads
2.40b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use SocketRocket.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 9.05% have integrated Kingfisher. This accounts for 10.02% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Kingfisher is a powerful, pure-Swift library SDK for downloading and caching images from the web. It provides you a chance to use a pure-Swift way to work with remote images in your next app.

Total Apps
67.04k
App Store
App Share
9.05%
App Store
Apps
66.56k
Games
476
Total Downloads
25.11b
App Store
Download Share
10.02%
App Store
App Downloads
23.00b
Game Downloads
2.10b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Kingfisher.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 4.93% have integrated Starscream. This accounts for 7.20% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Starscream SDK is a conforming WebSocket (RFC 6455) library in Swift.

Total Apps
36.53k
App Store
App Share
4.93%
App Store
Apps
36.16k
Games
364
Total Downloads
18.03b
App Store
Download Share
7.20%
App Store
App Downloads
17.48b
Game Downloads
550.58m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Starscream.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 3.44% have integrated AlamofireImage. This accounts for 2.30% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

AlamofireImage is an image component library SDK for Alamofire.

Total Apps
25.50k
App Store
App Share
3.44%
App Store
Apps
25.36k
Games
141
Total Downloads
5.76b
App Store
Download Share
2.30%
App Store
App Downloads
5.68b
Game Downloads
76.84m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireImage.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.45% have integrated WebRTC. This accounts for 5.74% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

With WebRTC, you can add real-time communication capabilities to your mobile apps. It supports sending videos, voice, and generic data between peers, allowing developers to build powerful voice- and video-communication solutions.

Total Apps
18.12k
App Store
App Share
2.45%
App Store
Apps
18.01k
Games
116
Total Downloads
14.39b
App Store
Download Share
5.74%
App Store
App Downloads
14.26b
Game Downloads
130.09m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use WebRTC.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.44% have integrated Moya. This accounts for 4.82% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Moya SDK is a network abstraction layer written in Swift.

Total Apps
18.04k
App Store
App Share
2.44%
App Store
Apps
17.68k
Games
362
Total Downloads
12.07b
App Store
Download Share
4.82%
App Store
App Downloads
9.06b
Game Downloads
3.01b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Moya.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.16% have integrated CocoaAsyncSocket. This accounts for 3.23% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The CocoaAsyncSocket SDK provides easy-to-use and powerful asynchronous socket libraries for macOS, iOS, and tvOS.

Total Apps
16.00k
App Store
App Share
2.16%
App Store
Apps
15.81k
Games
190
Total Downloads
8.08b
App Store
Download Share
3.23%
App Store
App Downloads
8.00b
Game Downloads
82.71m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use CocoaAsyncSocket.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.00% have integrated ASIHTTPRequest. This accounts for 2.82% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

ASIHTTPRequest is an easy to use wrapper SDK around the CFNetwork API that makes some of the more tedious aspects of communicating with web servers easier. It is written in Objective-C and works in both Mac OS X and iPhone applications.

Total Apps
14.85k
App Store
App Share
2.00%
App Store
Apps
13.12k
Games
1.73k
Total Downloads
7.06b
App Store
Download Share
2.82%
App Store
App Downloads
5.36b
Game Downloads
1.70b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ASIHTTPRequest.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.82% have integrated Socket.io. This accounts for 1.65% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Socket.IO is an SDK that enables real-time, bidirectional and event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

Total Apps
13.48k
App Store
App Share
1.82%
App Store
Apps
13.33k
Games
154
Total Downloads
4.12b
App Store
Download Share
1.65%
App Store
App Downloads
3.77b
Game Downloads
348.32m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Socket.io.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.20% have integrated AlamofireObjectMapper. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The AlamofireObjectMapper SDK is an extension to Alamofire which automatically converts JSON response data into swift objects using ObjectMapper.

Total Apps
8.92k
App Store
App Share
1.20%
App Store
Apps
8.88k
Games
36
Total Downloads
1.89b
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.88b
Game Downloads
13.94m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireObjectMapper.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.12% have integrated PINRemoteImage. This accounts for 1.64% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

PINRemoteImage is an SDK that offers a fast, non-deadlocking parallel image downloader and cache for iOS.

Total Apps
8.32k
App Store
App Share
1.12%
App Store
Apps
8.29k
Games
21
Total Downloads
4.12b
App Store
Download Share
1.64%
App Store
App Downloads
4.08b
Game Downloads
36.16m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use PINRemoteImage.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Google APIs for Objective-C for REST. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
6.75k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
6.66k
Games
88
Total Downloads
2.07b
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.91b
Game Downloads
162.46m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Google APIs for Objective-C for REST.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator SDK controls the visibility of the network activity indicator on iOS apps.

Total Apps
3.44k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3.43k
Games
9
Total Downloads
1.29b
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.28b
Game Downloads
2.54m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated CXML. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

CXML is a streamlined protocol SDK intended for consistent communication of business documents between procurement applications, e-commerce hubs, and suppliers.

Total Apps
3.18k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3.03k
Games
146
Total Downloads
777.69m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
705.69m
Game Downloads
72.00m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use CXML.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated MQTT-Client-Framework. This accounts for 1.05% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The MQTT-Client-Framework SDK is a native Objective-C iOS library. It uses CFNetwork for networking and CoreData for persistence. It is a complete implementation of MQTT 3.1.1 and supports TLS.

Total Apps
2.89k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
2.75k
Games
145
Total Downloads
2.62b
App Store
Download Share
1.05%
App Store
App Downloads
2.34b
Game Downloads
278.95m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use MQTT-Client-Framework.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated RestKit. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

RestKit is a framework SDK for consuming and modeling RESTful web resources on iOS and OS X.

Total Apps
2.45k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
2.45k
Games
5
Total Downloads
959.48m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
959.07m
Game Downloads
419.53k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use RestKit.

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • New Installations and Removals HistoryNew Installations and Removals History

    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

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    See which app categories or genres are most likely to use specific SDKs. Detect SDK market share per category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does 42matters collect this data?'

We’ve developed a number of machine learning algorithms that scan millions of mobile and connected TV (CTV) applications on a regular basis. In addition, we collect ground truth app performance intelligence and use this data to build statistical models that estimate the performance of apps for which we do not have ground truth data.

What SDK data does 42matters collect?'

We track over 2,300 of the most popular SDKs integrated in iOS and Android apps. We collect a variety of SDK insights (title, platform, ID, category, and developer website); performance metrics (the number of apps that have installed each SDK, installation and removal trends, and app downloads); market share statistics (including market share per app category); and more!

How can I access 42matters’ SDK data?'

The most direct way is to use our SDK Explorer, which is a visual, web-based research platform that enables you to peruse all 2,300+ SDKs that we track. It’s great for market research, lead generation, competitor analysis, etc. However, more technically-inclined folks might prefer our APIs and File Dumps, which enable you to query info for specific apps or SDKs. You can also use our other research platform (the Explorer) to view integrated SDKs by app.

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to generate app publisher leads?'

Absolutely! We actually wrote about this on our blog. We focused on ad network SDKs, but the examples are applicable to most SDK types. To summarize, you can use the Explorer’s advanced filtering capabilities to home in on best-fit app publishers, leverage the SDK Explorer to see which apps use your competitors’ SDKs, and use our APIs and file dumps to build custom lead generation processes.

What data does 42matters provide on mobile apps?'

A ton! We track 17+ million apps across Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent Appstore, and Huawei AppGallery. Our solutions provide access to app details (developer insights, metadata, ASO keywords, contact information, etc.); performance metrics (downloads, MAUs, ratings, reviews, top chart rankings, etc.); technical insights (integrated SDKs, permissions, required capabilities, etc.); content details (categories, genres, IAB categories, content ratings, etc.); compliance information (app-ads.txt, privacy policies, store status, etc.) and much, much more!

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to find SDKs for my app?'

Definitely. The SDK Explorer enables you to sort SDKs by category, identify similar SDKs, analyze SDK reliability, and more. In addition, you can use the Explorer to monitor your competitors, including which SDKs they add and remove, their current tech stacks, and SDK changelogs. This means you use our solutions not only to find the right SDK for a particular purpose, but also which SDKs you might need to keep up with your rivals.